2017 Yukon River Summer Salmon Fishery News Release # 24 Districts 1 and 2 Commercial and Subsistence Fishing Schedule

Subsistence fishing in Districts 1 and 2 will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week except closed 2 hours before, during, and 2 hours after commercial periods. Commercial and subsistence fishing schedules are available 24 hours a day at (866) 479-7387.

Commercial

District 1 (including Black River) Commercial:

Commercial fishing with 5.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets not exceeding 30 meshes in depth will open for two 6-hour periods:

• 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. Tuesday, June 27
• 5 p.m.  until 11 p.m. Thursday, June 29

Any Chinook salmon caught in gillnet gear during the commercial gillnet openings may be kept for subsistence use and must be recorded on a fish ticket as “kept but not sold”. Chinook salmon kept for subsistence use during the commercial gillnet openings must be marked by removing both tips of the tail fin before concealing the Chinook salmon from plain view or before transferring the salmon from the fishing site.

District 2 Commercial:

Commercial fishing with dip nets and beach seines only will open for three 8-hour periods to target summer chum salmon:

• From 7 p.m. Monday, June 26 until 3 a.m. Tuesday, June 27
• From 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 28 until 3 a.m. Thursday, June 29
• From 7 p.m. Friday, June 30 until 3 a.m. Saturday, July 1

All Chinook salmon must be released alive from commercial dip nets and beach seines and recorded on a fish ticket.

Subsistence

District 1 (including Black River and North Coastal District and the communities of Nunam Iqua, Alakanuk, Emmonak, and Kotlik):

Effective 4 a.m. Monday, June 26, subsistence fishing with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets is open 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Subsistence fishing will close 2 hours before, during, and 2 hours after commercial periods, therefore subsistence fishing will be closed for the following 10-hour periods:

• Closed from 2 p.m. until 12 midnight, Tuesday, June 27
• Closed from 3 p.m. Thursday, June 29 until 1 a.m. Friday, June 30

District 2 (including the communities of Mountain Village, Pitkas Point, Saint Marys, Pilot Station, and Marshall):

Effective 8 a.m. Monday, June 26, subsistence fishing with 7.5-inch or smaller mesh gillnets is open 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Subsistence fishing will close 2 hours before, during, and 2 hours after commercial periods, therefore subsistence fishing will be closed for the following 12-hour periods:

• Closed from 5 p.m. Monday, June 26 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, June 27.
• Closed from 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 28 to 5 a.m. Thursday, June 29
• Closed from 5 p.m. Friday, June 30 to 5 a.m. Saturday, July 1.

During fishing closures, fishermen may use gillnets of 4-inch or smaller mesh of 60 feet or shorter length to target non salmon species. Chinook salmon harvested in 4-inch or smaller gillnets may be kept.

Fishing schedules, test fish catches and sonar counts are available 24 hours a day at (866) 479-7387 (toll free); in Fairbanks, call (907) 459-7387.

This is an announcement by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

If you have any questions, please call ADF&G in Emmonak at 949-1320, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Emmonak at 949-1798.

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